We’re back to Ocean City this summer, and my daughter is now old enough to drive. We normally whatever high-speed freeway we can, but since she’s still a relatively new driver, I’d like to split some time with her driving on some “less pressure” roads. So I did a little research and found US 50.
US 50 is a great route for us, since we can take I65 south, hang a left on US 50 and drive straight through to Ocean City. But I’ll have to contend with my husband, who would prefer to take the Autobahn everywhere. I like the idea of driving through the twisty mountains and small towns. But I don’t want a trip to have 3 stoplights in every town along US 50, or be stuck behind a slow driver on two lane blacktop. If it happens once or twice, okay, but I’d hate to get stuck driving across Ohio on two lanes with a million stoplights. Plus, I’d probably end up divorced.
Also, it apparently goes straight through the heart of DC, and while that’s really cool, and I could handle some traffic, I don’t want to be in gridlock for 3 hours.
It’s right down the street from where I live in Northern Virginia, and I drive on it virtually every day (although I’ve never gone all the way to DC). I wouldn’t say it gets gridlocked, but it can get very backed up during the work week where I live, especially during rush hour, and there are many stoplights. Personally, I would happily take the highway instead of Route 50 just to avoid the stoplights.
I did it once, from about Chantilly to where it meets or comes near 79. It looks like a straight line but it actually goes up the mountain, down the mountain, round the mountain. It’s quite twisty, slow, and may raise some concern for your brakes if they aren’t new. Pretty scenery, and I remember at least one halfway decent roadside burger joint.
It was enjoyable once but I’d never do it again, and not with an inexperienced driver. It was mentally exhausting, far more so than the interstate. There aren’t many towns. But plenty of places to drive off a cliff if you aren’t careful.
And 50 in DC is a giant pile of shit. Stay away if at all possible! Stop lights every 10 feet, Disgusting strip malls and gas stations, as far as they eye can see. One of my least favorite places in America.
First of all there are very few strip malls in DC, and very few gas stations that would impede your progress. The ones that are there are on the eastern side of the Capitol and you will get through them pretty quickly. Provided you don’t go during rush hour.
If you want to take 50 through the city you will first go through Arlington, take Roosevelt bridge across the river on to Constitution Avenue. Follow Constitution at 30mph and you will hit almost every light green. Turn left (north) on 6th street to New York avenue and take a right. NY Ave is route 50. Stay on it and in appx 2 hours 45 minutes you’ll be pulling into OC.
If you haven’t driven route 50 to OC in some years there have been many improvements over the years. The new bridge at Kent Narrows is high so the drawbridge wait has been eliminated. There is a Salisbury bypass now, with a speed limit of 65. Once on the other side of the bypass OC is only 30 minutes. Depending on where your hotel/condo is you might want to take 90 - if you are in the upper streets (40+).
Route 50 is a fine way to go to the beach and there are a lot of places to stop for food… one of the best crab cake sandwiches you’ll ever have is the first right across the Bay Bridge at the Kent Island Depot (BP gas station).
Route 50 through West Virginia is a very windy, rural road. It can be a challenge to drive, and you can also get stuck behind some slow trucks going up and down those hills.
You might want to take 50 to I-79, then take the interstates the rest of the way, or at least through the mountains.
US 50 through DC goes onto the National Mall, so if any of y’all haven’t seen it it might be worth it, but parking may be bad.
If you don’t want to go through DC, you can get off 50 at the Capital Beltway/I-495 and take it around. Either way (it’s a ring road) will take you to the other side of the city where you can get back on US 50. If you take the Outer Loop counterclockwise, you pass over the Woodrow Wilson bridge and can see the Washington Monument to your left as you pass. If you take the Inner Loop, you’ll pass by the Mormon Temple and the Surrender Dorothy bridge.
East of DC, you pass over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which is infamous for frightening some people. It’s several miles long and goes 200 feet above the water. The bridge is tolled going east - they do accept EZ-Pass if you have one.
The area of Northern Virginia near US 50 is extremely rich in (US) Civil War history. You could spend days or maybe even weeks touring historical sights within 10 miles of the road - the place where the Confederate Battle Flag was designed, the site of Mosby’s Midnight Raid, Robert E. Lee’s boyhood home, Robert E. Lee’s home church (still an active Episcopal parish today and also George Washington’s home church!), Burke Station, The Bull Run/Manassas battlefields, the old Fairfax Courthouse (which saw action in the Civil War and where, much later, one of the hearings for one of the DC Snipers was held), and much much more. There’s also plenty of Colonial and Revolutionary War stuff to see nearby like Gadsby’s Tavern and the British governor’s mansion in Alexandria.
In the City of Alexandria there’s an office building that once was the home of one of the biggest US slave trading firms.
Also, US 50 is going to go through Cincinnati too, right?
50 through West Virginia can be hit or miss. It’s a nice road, but from all the times I’ve been on it you either get behind someone really slow, or some speeder comes flying up on you and then passes you. It will take you a long time to get across the state. I’ve done it many times, though mostly on a motorcycle. There are not a whole lot of towns that are going to slow you down much, most are one or two light towns.
I don’t know a whole lot about Virginia, but the towns will get bigger, Winchester is on 50, and the closer to DC get a lot more crowded.
Once you get over the Bay Bridge I’d keep near the speed limit as there are usually lots of cops along the way.
Another route to choose from is I-68 across Maryland, it’s a nice drive.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is part of the US 50 experience here. If you want to avoid it, you’re pretty much looking at a big detour. One way to do it is to take US 50 east to the I-495 interchange in Northern Virginia, then take I-495 inner loop/clockwise to I-95 N, take that through Baltimore (it’s pretty much all highway driving through the city with a tunnel under the harbor. You can also take I-695 around Baltimore if you don’t want to pay the tunnel toll or don’t like tunnels to begin with), then get off around Elkton, MD or thereabouts and drive down the Eastern Shore back toward US 50. Another way is to take the I-495 outer loop to I-95 S (signed for Richmond), change roads a few times in Central VA, and head toward Virginia Beach. In Virginia Beach, you can take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to the southern tip of the Eastern Shore and head up. If any of you love Misty of Chincoteague you can stop and see the wild horses and the islands. The Bridge-Tunnel is more low to the ground but still can be scary. A few years ago a woman drove over the edge and died.
50 through DC includes Constitution Ave, which does have a great view of the Mall, but if you are transiting the city anytime during rush hours, can be a pretty intense drive since there are a lot of commuters and if you don’t know when to change lanes and such you can end up kind of frazzled.
You should try it on a motorcycle. Part of it is a metal grate where you can look straight down to the water :eek: Plus you get that wheel shimmy that you always get on a bike going over metal grates.
I’ve driven about 40 miles of it through south central Ohio. That stretch was quite beautiful…two lanes, but very few lights or stops. Rural, through winding hills and forest. I really enjoyed the drive.
On the Mall, there’s often a lot of traffic, the traffic patterns can be sort of weird as lanes veer off in that direction or the other and you have to turn to stay going the same direction, and there is a security presence that can be unnerving. Cameras everywhere on lampposts, and police watching you. Some police may be carrying assault rifles at the ready. Move along.
The section of US 50 in WV that runs between I-77 and i-79 is four lanes, limited access, so it’s pretty good road, with one of the greatest place names I’ve ever come across - Flinderation Road.